SANTIAGO – The government of Chile has announced changes in quarantine measures to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country as the nationwide tally soared to 113,628 on Wednesday.
According to the latest report delivered by the Ministry of Health, 4,942 new cases of coronavirus were registered in the last 24 hours, of which 4,537 are symptomatic and 405 asymptomatic.
In addition, an increase in deaths was reported after the count criteria were changed. Now, those patients who took the PCR test are counted, but the result is not yet available.
En la edición de hoy del @DiarioOficialCL la resolución que define casos activos de #COVID_19, caso probable y registro de fallecidos
Revisa la publicación completa, aquí: https://t.co/CD1aYuSy5c pic.twitter.com/evh31RIeRs
— Ministerio de Salud (@ministeriosalud) June 3, 2020
With this new formula, 87 deaths were reported, bringing the total figure to 1,275.
Now, the government has extended the quarantine for Iquique, Alto Hospicio and 38 communes of the Metropolitan Region until Friday, June 12.
On the other hand, the quarantine will be lifted in the Lonquimay commune, in the Araucanía Region, beginning on Friday, June 5 at 10:00 pm.
Check the complete list of communes that will remain in quarantine for the next seven days
“This is a huge effort and sacrifice for citizens, but we need to make it understood that these measures must be accompanied by greater collaboration from the community,” said Health Minister Mañalich, in his daily media briefing.
“Until now, the studies that the Ministry of Science has given us have been reduced only in 30% compared to the usual rates. This is very little,” he added.
Mañalich emphasized compliance with sanitary measures, especially in the Metropolitan Region. “We need to reduce mobility to half of what we see today,” the minister stated.
"La segunda definición que se ha tomado es incluir como casos fallecidos por o asociados por coronavirus, a todas las personas donde aparecen el termino #COVID_19 independiente que no tengamos constancia de una PCR tomada"
Ministro Jaime Mañalich: pic.twitter.com/867FxwGNKS
— Ministerio de Salud (@ministeriosalud) June 3, 2020
Undersecretary Arturo Zúñiga said that 330 mechanical ventilators are available in all areas of the country to serve patients who require it.
In the last 24 hours 15,538 PCR tests were carried out, reaching a total of 628,318 since the health emergency began.
He added that “with the delivery of information on cases infected in each commune by the municipalities, there is a job that is surveillance and will now be amplified.”
